WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.279 --> 00:00:04.879 We have an active shooter. We have an after shoots. Go ahead and 2 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:12.240 be clear, that's a mass casualty. Welcome to Active Shooter, a podcast 3 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:17.239 that covers the wys, the hows, and the aftermath of active shooter and 4 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:26.320 mass casualty events. I have an active shooter in a building. A checking 5 00:00:26.440 --> 00:00:33.880 call as they our big attack. We got jocks fires four fifteen as Buge 6 00:00:33.960 --> 00:00:51.240 ninety one, sound like, Oh I'm at a fire active shooter. It's 7 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:55.759 of an active shooter, active shooter, active shooter in mash casualty incidents. 8 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:03.359 Thank you for listening. You are listening to Active Shooter, a podcast that 9 00:01:03.400 --> 00:01:08.840 may contain adult themes, explicit language, and graphic depictions of violence. Portions 10 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:15.439 of this show may be traumatic for those under eighteen. Listener discretion is advised. 11 00:01:17.640 --> 00:01:21.640 Breaking news at a Nashville police confirm that they're at a school shooting. 12 00:01:21.640 --> 00:01:26.359 There Covenant School, a private Christian school. It's according to their website. 13 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:33.519 We learned this from ABC News not long ago Awful News. Three pediatric patients 14 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:38.640 were taken to the hospital suffering from gunshot wounds. All three pediatric patients were 15 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:44.719 confirmed dead on arrival. Police we know also engage the shooter, and the 16 00:01:44.760 --> 00:01:49.359 shooter is also dead. We're told that one person was taken to the hospital. 17 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:52.599 The severity of the injuries are not known at this point. Atf and 18 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:56.840 FBI are also assisting with this. Students are being sent home. Of course, 19 00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:00.879 a lot going on here, and we'll bring you more information as we 20 00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:07.280 get it throughout the rest of this half hour. On Monday, March twenty 21 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:12.159 seventh, twenty twenty three, classes at the Covenant School were in full swing, 22 00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:16.840 and each person in attendance was entirely unaware that their lives were set to 23 00:02:16.919 --> 00:02:23.719 change course in such a virulent manner. The shooting lasted for less than twenty 24 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:29.520 minutes from start to finish. It's a painfully meager amount of time when measured 25 00:02:29.560 --> 00:02:34.479 against the length of a school day, Yet those minutes likely moved in slow 26 00:02:34.520 --> 00:02:42.039 motion, capturing and freezing the panic and dread each individual felt into little snapshots 27 00:02:42.599 --> 00:02:49.319 that will continuously quell up unexpectedly as painful memories that cut like a knife. 28 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:54.759 Twenty minutes is such an inconsiderable amount of time, yet it's long enough to 29 00:02:54.840 --> 00:03:05.960 unequivocally change the lives of hundreds of unsuspecting peace unsuspecting children. Today's case is 30 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:10.080 dedicated to the lives and memories of the six injured survivors and the six shooting 31 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:17.319 victims, Evelyn Decous, Hallie Scruggs, William Kinney, Cynthia Peake, Katherine 32 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:29.560 Koontz, and Mike Hill. Active Shooter the podcast is a High five Holly 33 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:36.639 production, and I'm your host j T. If you've listened to our prior 34 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:42.080 episodes, you know that the Active Shooter podcast team has taken THEE No Notoriety 35 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:45.960 pledge and we will not be sharing the real name of the shooters that we 36 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:51.080 cover. We will be giving the shooters a pseudonym and refer to them by 37 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:54.560 that name throughout the episode. This will help in clearing up any confusion in 38 00:03:54.599 --> 00:04:00.199 the story while remaining true to our pledge in not naming the shooter by their 39 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:20.439 actual name. We will refer to today's shooter as Pat. The Covenant School 40 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:26.120 was located at thirty three Burton Hills Boulevard in the Green Hills neighborhood, situated 41 00:04:26.120 --> 00:04:31.199 approximately ten miles south of central Nashville, Tennessee. The school is an American 42 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:39.040 parochial elementary school within a Presbyterian church for preschool through sixth graders. There was 43 00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:44.000 a student population fluctuating between one hundred ninety five and two hundred and ten students, 44 00:04:44.360 --> 00:04:47.560 while the faculty ranged anywhere from thirty three and forty two staff members. 45 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:54.879 The school was founded in two thousand one as a ministry of Nashville's Covenant Presbyterian 46 00:04:54.959 --> 00:05:00.759 Church, and their motto was Shepherding hearts, empowering minds, celebrating childhood. 47 00:05:02.199 --> 00:05:05.519 It was a sunny, mild day and spring was in the air. Pat 48 00:05:05.560 --> 00:05:10.519 a former student of the school, cruised into the school's parking lot driving a 49 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:15.720 Honda Fit. Campus security footage captured him parking the Fit at nine fifty four 50 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:19.240 a m. And he sat in the vehicle for a short period where he 51 00:05:19.319 --> 00:05:25.160 proceeded to open the Instagram app to send a message to a friend named Avrianna 52 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:29.160 Patten. The message, which was sent in nine fifty seven a m, 53 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:33.519 read simply quote, I'm planning to die to day. You'll probably hear about 54 00:05:33.560 --> 00:05:39.399 me on the news after I die. Avriana, known to Pat through middle 55 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:43.959 school basketball, was startled, but before she could react, she was alerted 56 00:05:43.959 --> 00:05:47.040 to another incoming message, which read quote, my family doesn't know what I'm 57 00:05:47.079 --> 00:05:53.279 about to do one day this will make sense. I've left enough evidence behind, 58 00:05:53.959 --> 00:05:59.040 but something bad is about to happen. Truly concerned after that statement, 59 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:01.279 she took a screen shot of the message and forwarded it to her dad, 60 00:06:01.639 --> 00:06:06.160 asking what she should do. Her father suggested that she contact the National Suicide 61 00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:12.120 Hotline, which she did. The hotline directed Avreanna to call the Sheriff's office, 62 00:06:12.199 --> 00:06:16.319 which again she did at ten thirteen a m. The entire time, 63 00:06:16.360 --> 00:06:20.839 she was operating under the impression that Pat was intending to take his own life, 64 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:29.319 not the lives of six innocent others. Minutes before Avreanna called the police, 65 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:32.399 Pat was exiting his car. From the car, he extracted a five 66 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:38.040 P fifty six AR fifteen, a nine millimeter handgun, and a Celtec nine 67 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:43.480 millimeter sub two thousand carbine from a red bag. Pat's mother would later confirm 68 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:46.800 that she saw him leave that morning carrying a red bag, though she allegedly 69 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:54.439 wasn't aware that there were firearms inside. Pat snagged a tremendous amount of ammunition 70 00:06:54.759 --> 00:06:59.560 to carry along with his weapons. He planned to hurt many people, the 71 00:06:59.639 --> 00:07:05.800 more the better in his sadistic eyes. Wearing a white shirt, camouflage pants, 72 00:07:06.120 --> 00:07:11.720 a red hat, and a black tactical vest. Pat walked rapidly toward 73 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:16.199 the front entrance of the school at ten eleven am. He raised a firearm 74 00:07:16.360 --> 00:07:21.439 and started to shoot through the glass doors. The glass shattered, allowing Pat 75 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:27.959 to climb through and gain entry inside of the school halls and of course the 76 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:33.959 classrooms full of children. Pat had no target in mind. Everyone was a 77 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:39.720 target. If you came into his line of sight, you were a target. 78 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:45.680 So he aimed and fired. We just came back from the restaurant about 79 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:50.800 ten twenty five, outside visiting, and we heard many shots, just like 80 00:07:51.399 --> 00:07:58.720 really really loud, somewhere louder than the other the others, And we first 81 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:03.720 thought it was maybe roough roughers, and but it got, it got, 82 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:07.000 It was way too loud. So we all of a sudden saw the helicopter 83 00:08:07.160 --> 00:08:13.600 up in the air. Surveillance video inside of the school depicted Pat stalking the 84 00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:16.639 hallways with his gun, and at precisely the same moment, the first of 85 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:22.720 several nine to one one calls was placed, two of which came from adults 86 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:33.159 who managed to escape the building as soon as the initial shots ran out. 87 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:39.240 I'm hearing rapid fire. If I hear another shot, hearing more shoes, 88 00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:43.200 trying to stay quiet. I don't know what's going on there, but well, 89 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:48.159 do you have a school person or to you? I'm not sure they 90 00:08:48.200 --> 00:08:54.399 would be packing a big job. It is for security, but I don't 91 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:58.799 I mean, we don't have security guard. Do we have a staff? 92 00:09:01.879 --> 00:09:07.600 A beloved teacher, Sixty one year old Cynthia Peake or Cindy, was called 93 00:09:07.639 --> 00:09:13.159 Ceci by her very closest friends. She was among the shooting victims. She 94 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:18.440 was born on August twenty first, nineteen sixty one, in Liesville, Louisiana, 95 00:09:18.679 --> 00:09:22.360 to Nell and doctor William Broyles, and graduated from Texas Christian University with 96 00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:26.639 a degree in education. She and her husband, Chris Peake, married on 97 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:31.240 November twenty seventh, nineteen ninety seven, in Fair Hope, Alabama, after 98 00:09:31.320 --> 00:09:37.000 meeting years earlier in Nashville. Cindy taught at Christ Presbyterian Academy, along with 99 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:41.840 a few other schools. The ambitious woman began her own home school, pod 100 00:09:43.240 --> 00:09:48.039 named Peak Academy, but was also a staff member at Campus Crusade, which 101 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:52.840 she has been doing since graduating from college. She even taught swimming outside of 102 00:09:52.879 --> 00:10:01.320 the classroom. Cindy leaves behind five children, Drew, Ellie, Mathe Stacy, 103 00:10:01.879 --> 00:10:07.279 and Christopher, as well as four grandchildren, Holden, Harper, Elliston 104 00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:15.639 and Rhodes. The three students who were killed were watching a presentation from doctor 105 00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:20.320 Britney Grayson, a doctor at aic Kejabe Hospital in Kenya. Brittany was doing 106 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:24.639 Christian missionary work and teaching the students about it, as well as teaching them 107 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:30.799 how to pronounce several different words in Swahili. The doctor later lamented on social 108 00:10:30.840 --> 00:10:33.559 media about how she regretted leaving the school when she did, which was only 109 00:10:33.720 --> 00:10:37.720 minutes before the attack. She felt she could have offered much needed aid to 110 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:43.039 the shooting victims, and indeed her presence likely would have been a godsend, 111 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:48.120 though it's equally a blessing that she managed to get out safely. One of 112 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:52.159 the students, Evelyn Marie Decus, was a nine year old born on August 113 00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:58.120 second, twenty thirteen, and was described by her family as a radiant, 114 00:10:58.679 --> 00:11:03.960 sparkly soul with an ever present twinkle in her eye. She loved to laugh, 115 00:11:03.960 --> 00:11:07.600 and she freely gave warm hugs to all, most especially to her most 116 00:11:07.799 --> 00:11:11.120 cherished loved ones, including her best friend who also happened to be her big 117 00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:16.159 sister, Eleanor. Evelyn loved doing crafts and drawing, and was happy of 118 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:20.279 spending time with her parents, grandparents, and even her aunt's uncles and cousins. 119 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:24.559 She was fascinated with learning about the world around her and had a deep 120 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:31.879 appreciation for music. An aspiring artist in her own right, Evelyn was known 121 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:35.559 to create her own songs on the ukulele, guitar, and piano, and 122 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:41.039 her angelic voice was reminiscent of her most favorite musician of all time, Taylor 123 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:46.000 Swift. Music was far from her only interest, though she played softball and 124 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:50.600 basketball. Evelyn was a lover of all animals and had even requested a pet 125 00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:54.159 rat for her tenth birthday. The rat would be in addition to her two 126 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:58.919 dogs, Birdie and Mabel, and her enormous stuffed animal collection, which consisted 127 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:20.080 of only tigers, all of whom were aptly named Tony. Another student who 128 00:12:20.200 --> 00:12:24.759 was killed was nine year old halle Ladell scrug She was born in Dallas, 129 00:12:24.759 --> 00:12:28.879 Texas, on June twenty fourth, twenty thirteen. Halley was the only daughter 130 00:12:28.919 --> 00:12:33.039 of Jada and Chad Scrugs. Chad is the Covenant Presbyterian Church of Nashville's senior 131 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:39.080 pastor, but he wasn't present at the school when his precious daughter was killed. 132 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:45.039 Halley was a popular little girl who was full of life. Her favorite 133 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:48.039 things were unicorns and ninjas, and she loved to play basketball and soccer. 134 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:54.240 The third student who was killed, William Kinney, also known as Will, 135 00:12:54.039 --> 00:12:58.960 was a caring brother, son, nephew, and friend who was the happiest 136 00:12:58.200 --> 00:13:03.320 playing baseball. Will was very much looking forward to the upcoming season as both 137 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:09.480 an infielder and outfielder for the Creeve Hall Reads. Those who knew Will described 138 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:15.080 him as quote unfailingly kind, gentle, quick to laugh, and always inclusive 139 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:20.080 of others. And indeed he constantly had friends over at his house playing and 140 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:24.000 doing young boy things. A GoFundMe was established for Will's family, and it 141 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:28.840 raised over two hundred and eighty five thousand dollars. In the midst of the 142 00:13:28.840 --> 00:13:33.879 gunfire blasting through the halls of the school, local police were alerted to a 143 00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:39.720 code nine thousand, which signals a deadly aggressor. At ten eighteen am. 144 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:45.759 Surveillance video showed pat entering a church office and between ten nineteen ten twenty pat 145 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:50.080 could be seen pacing the hallways with his weapon raised as officers arrived on the 146 00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:52.600 scene. By ten twenty one am, teachers said the school was in lockdown 147 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:58.720 mode. However, there were at least two students missing. Another of the 148 00:13:58.759 --> 00:14:03.639 ad adults that was killed was fifty nine year old doctor Katherine Kotz. Born 149 00:14:03.720 --> 00:14:07.879 on December eighteenth, nineteen sixty three, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 150 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:13.279 Richard and Anne Shirley. She attended Saint Joseph Catholic School and University High School 151 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:18.879 before enrolling at Louisiana State University. After her freshman year, Catherine transferred to 152 00:14:18.919 --> 00:14:24.480 Vanderbilt University, where she graduated cum laude in special education with a concentration in 153 00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:31.159 severe and profound disabilities. She started her career teaching at Susan Gray School in 154 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:35.480 Vanderbilt, and in nineteen eighty six she married Richard S. Kuntz the Third, 155 00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:39.120 also known as Dick. The young couple moved to Atlanta and then to 156 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:45.080 Marryetta, Georgia, where she worked in various special education classrooms. During her 157 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:50.279 time in Atlanta, Catherine earned a Master of Education degree from Georgia State University 158 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:54.440 in the midst of her schooling, Catherine and Dick managed to begin their little 159 00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:58.320 family of four, producing a son named David in nineteen ninety and a daughter 160 00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:03.759 named Anna. In nineteen ninety six, the family moved to Brentwood, Tennessee, 161 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:07.759 which is located near Nashville. There, Catherine earned a Doctor of Education 162 00:15:07.879 --> 00:15:15.279 degree from Treveca University, Nashville, achieving the prestigious title of doctor. In 163 00:15:15.320 --> 00:15:18.919 twenty sixteen, Doctor Catherine became the head of Covenant School. The well rounded 164 00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:24.679 woman enjoyed playing pickleball and traveling outside of the school. The responding police units 165 00:15:24.679 --> 00:15:30.039 were securing the perimeter when pat began to shoot in officers from the second floor 166 00:15:30.039 --> 00:15:33.600 of the school at approximately ten twenty five am. A unit of police entered 167 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:37.320 the building and started to clear the school, sweeping each classroom on the first 168 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:41.639 floor. Police later reported that when they crossed the threshold into the school, 169 00:15:41.879 --> 00:15:46.600 they immediately smelled gunpowder. They were forced to step over to ceased bodies in 170 00:15:46.679 --> 00:15:52.399 order to continue forward moving towards the threat. One such individual was the last 171 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:58.000 of the adult shooting victims, sixty one year old Mike Hill. Mike was 172 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:03.399 born on August seventh, nineteen seven. Seventy seven and was affectionately called Big 173 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:07.799 Mike. He was a nature officionado who absolutely loved to cook. A gentle 174 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:12.399 giant, he was physically large, strong and tough, but inside he was 175 00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:18.519 a huge teddy bear, soft and sweet. He attended church services regularly at 176 00:16:18.519 --> 00:16:26.000 Stephens Valley, and he leaves behind seven children and fourteen grandchildren. Meanwhile, 177 00:16:26.039 --> 00:16:30.039 at ten twenty six a m. Another team of five officers quietly crept through 178 00:16:30.080 --> 00:16:34.679 the lockdown school, slowly approaching the second floor towards Pat. As they crested 179 00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:37.039 the top of the stairs, they spotted him in an open area that was 180 00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:41.759 situated like a lobby. He stood standing alone near a bank of windows, 181 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:48.799 firing outside at approaching law enforcement officers. Rex Engelbert and Michael Colaso fired at 182 00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:57.600 Pat, each striking him four times. He was killed instantly. That they's 183 00:16:57.639 --> 00:17:02.000 going to be first four of meanline. You I'm making insured on the front 184 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:17.079 side. Pants are all locked down, but we have two picks that we 185 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:34.359 don't know where they are. Okay, Okay, this man yes into my 186 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:42.880 window, so they're upstairs. Hey, gimmy, gimme three. Let's get 187 00:17:42.920 --> 00:17:51.160 three all the way down. Then Paul spellowshipall the end of this Paul Spellowshipaul. 188 00:17:51.640 --> 00:17:53.920 There they just said they were gun huss down there and then upstairs for 189 00:17:55.000 --> 00:18:03.240 a bunch of picks. Let's go, I need three one more. Let's 190 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:21.319 go. That's your police, open up, I me, I mean I 191 00:18:21.319 --> 00:18:30.599 don't know where he is. Let's your belief the door, okay, bathroom, 192 00:18:30.599 --> 00:18:41.960 bathroom, small bathrooms clear. Next, let's go show you the back 193 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:55.440 door door with me, with me, hold the door next open. I 194 00:18:55.440 --> 00:19:06.640 got it, I got it that. Let's go. Hmm. Now just 195 00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:22.559 go right a lot, father, lot, take this looking, take this, 196 00:19:25.480 --> 00:19:30.440 No, that's lock Take this store, take the stores. Take it. 197 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:48.599 M m h m hm m hm. It gets upstairs. Sounds like 198 00:19:48.799 --> 00:20:19.880 up what's the help, bo what's the healthy beer? Really? Boo? 199 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:32.880 What's help saying? Yeah? Away from the doing? What's not your hand? 200 00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:36.319 Away from the doing? I already can't sucking. There's a lot of 201 00:20:36.359 --> 00:20:56.000 chuny. I hope the air they go take it? Four? We read 202 00:20:56.119 --> 00:21:00.960 no locked door? Where did they go? In First War? First word? 203 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:06.160 First? First hold there, y'all, somebody hold there, hit that 204 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:18.319 door. Rifle first rifle, first blue, go go go go go go 205 00:21:18.119 --> 00:21:37.039 go hoo hoo. I'm with you. Go away, shut shuck. Hit 206 00:21:37.119 --> 00:21:45.960 right here, let me right here, right here. It's locked. Go 207 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:52.839 hit that stairs, hit the stairs. No those stairs, those stands. 208 00:21:52.920 --> 00:22:11.839 No, no, no, no, forget up up, keep pushing shots 209 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:26.720 fine shots, fine shot fine. Moved hand right right right, pushing lpv 210 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:37.799 U pushing lp v up All right, move move what'tshout? What's you? 211 00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:47.880 Stop moving? Stop? Move thead? What's left? What's left? Sus 212 00:22:47.960 --> 00:23:02.200 back down, Sus back down, Hey, hold the air. A minute 213 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:06.319 later, and fourteen minutes after the first nine one one call, police jumped 214 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:08.599 into a different kind of action, one of clearing the school of the living, 215 00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:14.119 rendering aid to the injured, and seeing that the deceased were carefully taken 216 00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:18.839 away. Later investigations showed that a total of one hundred and fifty two rounds 217 00:23:18.839 --> 00:23:22.880 were fired, one hundred twenty six from the rifle and twenty six from the 218 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:27.039 nine millimeter. The scene was chaotic and it was an utter bloodbath. A 219 00:23:27.079 --> 00:23:33.000 reunification center was established at the Woodmont Baptist Church, and the students, faculty, 220 00:23:33.039 --> 00:23:36.240 and others were bussed there. It was only two miles from the school. 221 00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:41.839 As petrified parents arrived, they gathered into the silent church, calm yet 222 00:23:41.880 --> 00:23:47.200 tensely waiting for information. Volunteers pushed around carts with water coolers, handing out 223 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:52.400 cups to worried family members who desperately needed a distraction from the dark and terrible 224 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:59.240 places their minds visited. As the buses arrived at the Baptist church, relieved 225 00:23:59.240 --> 00:24:03.240 students lowered them their windows, some frantically waving and hollering out to their parents, 226 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:10.039 most of whom were able to breathe again, knowing their child was safe. 227 00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:14.680 Three students, a police officer, and two adults from the school were 228 00:24:14.759 --> 00:24:18.279 rushed to Vanderbilt Medical Center, where they were treated for various injuries and ultimately 229 00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:23.400 were released. It was reported that there were no less than fifty emergency vehicles, 230 00:24:23.599 --> 00:24:29.519 including patrol cars and ambulances, that had responded to the school. Teachers 231 00:24:29.559 --> 00:24:33.319 at the Covenant School had done an active shooter training not long before the shooting. 232 00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:37.599 Experts have said that the police response to the shooting was quote textbook and 233 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:44.799 the antithesis of the response to the Vivaldi shooting, where officers waited and excruciating 234 00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:49.440 seventy seven minutes before engaging with the shooter, while the majority of public schools 235 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:53.480 in Nashville have public safety officers on the campus. The Governant School did not, 236 00:24:55.119 --> 00:25:00.720 making the swift police response all the more noteworthy. Initial shorts indicated that 237 00:25:00.759 --> 00:25:03.319 the shooter was a female, though it was later corrected and the shooter was 238 00:25:03.359 --> 00:25:08.480 reportedly a transgender man using male pronouns. Pat was born female on March twenty 239 00:25:08.519 --> 00:25:12.799 fourth, nineteen ninety five, transitioning to he him pronouns at a later time 240 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:17.279 in his life. He had one sibling, a brother, and they both 241 00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:19.759 lived at home with their parents in a nice neighborhood about three miles from the 242 00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:25.640 Covenant School. His dad was self employed and mother was a proud Christian woman 243 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:30.920 who frequently posted on social media about how society needs to keep guns and weapons 244 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:49.799 out of schools. Pat attended the Covenant School as a third and fourth grader 245 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:55.160 in two thousand and five and two thousand and six. He wasn't listed as 246 00:25:55.160 --> 00:25:57.960 a student in the yearbook for fifth or sixth grade, and the former headmaster 247 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:03.559 of the school believes that may have transferred after the fourth grade. The headmaster 248 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:07.640 recalled that Pat was a typical student who didn't stand out in any way as 249 00:26:07.720 --> 00:26:11.920 far as bad or troubling. Behavior. Patt attended middle school and Isaiah T. 250 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:15.839 Creswell Middle School of the Arts before eventually graduating from Nashville School of the 251 00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:21.440 Arts in twenty fourteen. Because there wasn't a track team at the Nashville Arts 252 00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:25.000 School, students were permitted to try out for the Martin Luther King Junior High 253 00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:29.240 School team, which Pat did, running as part of the girls four by 254 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:34.480 four hundred meter relay team in the state championships. He excelled at track and 255 00:26:34.599 --> 00:26:40.119 was voted most Athletic in the school yearbook. After high school, Pat attended 256 00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:44.759 and graduated from Nassi College of Art and Design in Nashville in twenty twenty two. 257 00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:48.240 During his time at Nassi, he achieved several awards, including most Improved 258 00:26:48.599 --> 00:26:53.400 in Class Participation, and even the former vice president of the college recalled Pat 259 00:26:53.440 --> 00:26:59.720 as being the sweetest little thing. After college, Pat used his talents as 260 00:26:59.759 --> 00:27:03.000 a great graphic designer to create logos for companies. In addition to his creative 261 00:27:03.079 --> 00:27:07.359 job, Pat worked part time delivering groceries for ship and spent most of his 262 00:27:07.400 --> 00:27:12.119 free time creating art, watching movies, playing sports and video games, and 263 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:17.359 cuddling with his two cats. He maintained an art portfolio online, and it 264 00:27:17.400 --> 00:27:22.400 contained illustrated art, including a children's book that he had written, cartoon animals, 265 00:27:22.680 --> 00:27:26.359 professional logos, and what looked to be a self portrait. Those who 266 00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:30.960 knew Patt never saw any signs that he would carry out such a horrific shooting, 267 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:33.759 and one friend, a neighbor in particular, claimed that Pat quote was 268 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:38.000 very sweet. I don't know what happened. It's very scary. And yet 269 00:27:38.039 --> 00:27:42.039 another neighbor said that Pat was quote a nice, normal person, maybe a 270 00:27:42.079 --> 00:27:49.319 little quiet. A college classmate from Nassei was an illustration major like Pat, 271 00:27:49.559 --> 00:27:52.839 and recalled that they thought Pat was much younger than he actually was because he 272 00:27:52.920 --> 00:27:57.599 dressed like a child and even brought soft animals to class. The classmate thought 273 00:27:57.640 --> 00:28:02.519 Pat had a Peter Payon's sort of complex, wanting to stay a kid forever, 274 00:28:02.920 --> 00:28:06.680 and describe Pat's artwork as quote, it couldn't be more childish, family 275 00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:11.880 friendly, g rated to a nauseating degree, almost filled with very garish, 276 00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:17.160 bright colors. In February of twenty twenty two, there was a birthday party 277 00:28:17.160 --> 00:28:21.960 for Mia Phillips at Pinobe's Bar and Restaurant. Mia was a former teammate of 278 00:28:21.960 --> 00:28:26.720 Pat's but Pat wasn't invited to the party, although several other former teammates were 279 00:28:26.319 --> 00:28:30.079 Pat arrived even before Mia, and once the party was in full swing, 280 00:28:30.519 --> 00:28:36.599 Pat began to slur his words and stumbled around as if he was extremely intoxicated. 281 00:28:37.240 --> 00:28:40.839 The strange thing was no one had seen Pat drink anything, so it 282 00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:44.440 seemed incredibly odd that he would show up to a party one that he wasn't 283 00:28:44.440 --> 00:28:49.359 even invited to and proceeded to pretend to get blitzed. People were bewildered and 284 00:28:49.400 --> 00:28:53.160 began to get an off putting vibe from Pat in the event that he really 285 00:28:53.319 --> 00:28:56.400 was very drunk. Mia and others at the party tried to get Pat a 286 00:28:56.519 --> 00:29:00.200 ride home, but he staunchly refused, and eventually they allowed him to leave. 287 00:29:00.839 --> 00:29:04.480 The whole event was perplexing, and Patt never offered an explanation for his 288 00:29:04.599 --> 00:29:10.000 behavior. Averreanna, the friend that Pat contacted in the morning of the shooting, 289 00:29:10.279 --> 00:29:12.480 would later say that she didn't really know why Pat reached out to her. 290 00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:15.799 They were on the same basketball team in high school, but hadn't kept 291 00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:19.759 in touch over the years, aside from a brief social media interaction here and 292 00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:25.599 there. However, Pat did openly support his friend's budding career in journalism, 293 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:30.839 attending some TV tapings or events that she hosted, and even created a few 294 00:29:30.839 --> 00:29:37.160 Instagram posts featuring Avrianna's photos alongside inspirational quotes and sayings. Averrianna recalled seeing Pat 295 00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:41.519 a few weeks before the shooting at a celebration of life for a former teammate 296 00:29:41.799 --> 00:29:47.079 who had died in a car accident in August of twenty twenty two. While 297 00:29:47.079 --> 00:29:51.119 they exchanged greetings, they didn't spend the evening catching up or anything, which 298 00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:56.039 left her feeling slightly confused as to why Pat chose her to message just before 299 00:29:56.079 --> 00:30:00.799 the shooting. Though he left behind plenty of writings and letters, it doesn't 300 00:30:00.799 --> 00:30:04.480 appear that Pat ever left any sort of reason for why he singled out Avriana. 301 00:30:07.079 --> 00:30:11.839 Pat's parents later told police that Patt was regularly seeing a doctor for what 302 00:30:11.039 --> 00:30:18.319 was described as quote an emotional disorder, but the specific disorder and any type 303 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:22.640 of treatment that was being received is unknown and wasn't clarified by the parents. 304 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:26.480 In the recent years leading up to the shooting, Pat seemed to regress back 305 00:30:26.519 --> 00:30:30.240 to a middle school age, wherein he became so engrossed in the lives of 306 00:30:30.279 --> 00:30:34.640 his former middle school basketball teammates that it boarded on obsession. Because of this 307 00:30:34.759 --> 00:30:41.599 unhealthy fascination, Pat had several uncomfortable encounters on social media with some of his 308 00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:47.640 old teammates, leaving one to describe Pat's behavior as quote stockerish. After the 309 00:30:47.680 --> 00:30:51.640 shooting, a former teacher who was friends with Pat on Facebook told reports that 310 00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:56.160 after witnessing Pat's posts, she felt he was struggling emotionally, and that when 311 00:30:56.160 --> 00:30:59.759 she knew him as a student, he was confident, but not egotistical, 312 00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:06.519 very quiet, and an exceptionally talented artist. The teacher thought Pat would eventually 313 00:31:06.559 --> 00:31:10.920 become a professional illustrator for children's books. About a year before the shooting, 314 00:31:11.240 --> 00:31:15.680 one of Pat's basketball teammates died, and Pat took to Facebook to lament about 315 00:31:15.680 --> 00:31:19.079 the death and to tell the world that she had changed her name and wished 316 00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:26.319 for others to use he him pronouns, which everyone did. Despite no apparent 317 00:31:26.440 --> 00:31:30.920 or obvious signs of the why, It's painfully clear that Pat meticulously planned this 318 00:31:32.119 --> 00:31:36.480 attack. He had drawn a detailed map of the school's entry points and even 319 00:31:36.559 --> 00:31:41.880 conducted surveillance on the school between April and May of twenty twenty two, he 320 00:31:41.039 --> 00:31:47.400 enrolled in three separate handgun training lessons at the Royal Range USA. A behavioral 321 00:31:47.400 --> 00:31:51.960 threat assessment that was later done on Pat represented that it was nearly positive that 322 00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:55.720 his motivation for the shooting was a sense of resentment for attending the school, 323 00:31:56.160 --> 00:32:00.119 and it was equally certain that Pat intended to die by an officer involved shooting 324 00:32:00.440 --> 00:32:05.039 or forcing an officer to shoot him, also known as suicide by cop. 325 00:32:05.960 --> 00:32:10.359 Nashville Police Chief John Drake reported that Pat's folks believed their son shouldn't own guns, 326 00:32:10.599 --> 00:32:15.400 and indeed believed he didn't own a firearm. They knew he previously owned 327 00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:20.519 one gun, but they thought he had sold it. They were wrong. 328 00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:25.640 Pat had firearms hidden all over the house. He legally purchased seven different guns 329 00:32:25.880 --> 00:32:30.640 from five different local gun shops. Three of those weapons were used in the 330 00:32:30.680 --> 00:32:35.880 shooting. After police searched the family's home, they located a plethora of evidence, 331 00:32:36.200 --> 00:32:38.799 along with two of Pat's other guns, including a twelve gage Mossburg five 332 00:32:39.000 --> 00:32:45.039 ninety and a twenty gage Winchester Model twelve hundred. One of the long guns 333 00:32:45.119 --> 00:32:49.720 was sawed off, though it's not clear which. A manifesto was also located 334 00:32:49.720 --> 00:32:53.000 in the search. The statement included information about the school, including a map 335 00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:58.160 and a drawing, and other locations that the attack could take place, including 336 00:32:58.200 --> 00:33:02.680 locations such as a mall in Nashville, and targets included family members. Journals 337 00:33:02.680 --> 00:33:07.319 were unearthed, and they described details of other school shootings. Pat also left 338 00:33:07.319 --> 00:33:12.119 an easy to find suicide note tucked under his laptop, along with a list 339 00:33:12.119 --> 00:33:17.160 of passwords, two memoirs, and notes about firearms training. Several journals, 340 00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:22.680 writings, and drawings were found in Pat's car, along with plainly documented plans 341 00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:27.400 and drawings of the school. It was evident several of the materials were created 342 00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:30.440 over a period of time, and it was also obvious that Pat was planning 343 00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:37.839 an attack for quite some time. Perhaps because of the long time intricate planning, 344 00:33:37.279 --> 00:33:43.160 Pat never displayed any signs that he was about to morph into an unrecognizable 345 00:33:43.240 --> 00:33:49.200 monster who brutally murdered children and adults alike. Two days before the shooting, 346 00:33:49.240 --> 00:33:52.440 Pat visited his friend Nicki Tidwell. They celebrated Pat's birthday, and Nikki later 347 00:33:52.480 --> 00:33:57.799 reported that he seemed completely normal, and her mom agreed, suggesting that though 348 00:33:57.880 --> 00:34:00.799 Pat and her daughter Niki were introverts, who spent hours in Nicky's room playing 349 00:34:00.839 --> 00:34:06.440 video games and drawing. She never saw an issue nor identified a single red 350 00:34:06.440 --> 00:34:13.760 flag concerning pat During the very first church service following the shooting, which was 351 00:34:13.760 --> 00:34:19.519 held on April fourteenth, twenty twenty three, a bold, beaming rainbow arched 352 00:34:19.559 --> 00:34:22.559 over the Covenant School. It's as if the victims were sending a message of 353 00:34:22.559 --> 00:34:29.400 hope and love to all. Students returned attending classes on a limited or phased 354 00:34:29.400 --> 00:34:32.960 in basis to the Brentwood Hills Church of Christ. Half of the Covenant Schools 355 00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:37.920 returned on April eighteenth, and the other half returned on April nineteenth. On 356 00:34:37.960 --> 00:34:42.360 the first day classes resumed, the halls were covered in white, black, 357 00:34:42.800 --> 00:34:46.400 red, and silver balloons, which were a representation of the Covenant School colors. 358 00:34:47.800 --> 00:34:52.400 Parents, teachers, and the students of Brentwood Hills wanted to send a 359 00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:57.920 welcoming message to their traumatized peers. The Covenant School will not commence the twenty 360 00:34:57.960 --> 00:35:00.559 twenty three to twenty four school year on the MA and campus, but instead 361 00:35:00.599 --> 00:35:06.880 will begin at an alternative location at the Brentwood Hills Church of Christ. Letters 362 00:35:06.880 --> 00:35:09.440 were sent to all of the families of the Covenant school students, indicating that 363 00:35:09.519 --> 00:35:15.280 meaningful changes would be made to ensure the school's needs are met. The date 364 00:35:15.320 --> 00:35:19.079 for the reopening of the Covenant School at the Burton Hills campus will not be 365 00:35:19.159 --> 00:35:25.000 determined until after necessary modifications have been made. We all have the unique ability 366 00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:30.719 to help prevent such a catastrophic event from happening if we keep our eyes and 367 00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:37.159 ears open and never hesitate to report when something or someone just doesn't seem right. 368 00:35:37.960 --> 00:35:42.760 With a delicate balance of mental health reform, education, active shooter training, 369 00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:46.159 and common sense gun laws, we may one day realize the dream, 370 00:35:47.119 --> 00:35:52.400 the dream that there will be no more active shootings. We pray that love 371 00:35:52.440 --> 00:36:00.000 will prevail overhete. Too many have died, we should say to ourselves, 372 00:36:00.559 --> 00:36:06.119 not one more. In the meantime, we urge our listeners to stay aware 373 00:36:06.119 --> 00:36:09.719 of your surroundings and keep in touch with your loved ones. If you see 374 00:36:09.719 --> 00:36:15.679 something, say something, you never know how many lives you'll be saving. 375 00:36:22.159 --> 00:36:27.880 Thank you for listening to today's episode of Active Shooter the podcast. Remember, 376 00:36:28.440 --> 00:36:32.719 if you see something, say something, there's no telling how many lives you 377 00:36:32.800 --> 00:36:37.119 may be saving. A big thank you to Darren Curtis, who composed some 378 00:36:37.199 --> 00:36:44.119 of the songs on our show. You can find him online at www dot 379 00:36:44.199 --> 00:36:49.440 Darren Curtis music dot com. Make sure to check us out on social media. 380 00:36:49.920 --> 00:36:54.079 You can find us on Facebook at Active Shooter the Podcast and on Twitter 381 00:36:54.519 --> 00:37:04.400 at podcast Active. Thank you, and be safe.